1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to devices for extracting a dose of a fluid from a sealed fluid container. The invention finds particular application in the medical field, providing multiple-dose extraction from vials or ampules, by incorporating a syringe as a cyclical pump.
2. State of the Art
Several devices have been developed to facilitate transfer of a dose of a liquid from a bulk container. In the medical field, certain of such devices may be used to transfer a dose of a medicament from a vial, or a bulk container of medicament, to a syringe for injection or administration of the dose to a patient. In some situations, it is desirable to transfer more than one dose of medicament from the container in rapid succession. Ogle, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,501, discloses a transfer system having a manually controlled valve and permitting successive withdrawals of a medicament from a bulk container using a syringe for administration of the medicament to a patient. Ogle's manual valve requires adjustment to a first position to permit withdrawal of a dose, or filling the syringe. Then, the valve must be adjusted, manually, to a second position to permit fluid flow from the loaded syringe for administration of the fluid to a patient. While operable, Ogle's device suffers from the requirement for a user to make manual valve adjustments to load and discharge a syringe.
Synnett discloses an apparatus in U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,163 that is adapted to withdraw doses of a pressurized gas from a bulk container for injection of that gas into body tissue with a syringe. Synnett provides a three way valve that requires a manual adjustment to select a desired flow path between the container, the syringe, and an ejection conduit.
Zinger, in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 427,308, discloses an ornamental design for a vial adapter operable to pierce a seal carried by a container of a medicament. Zinger's vial adapter includes a spike which could be operable to pierce a seal membrane, and also has gripping structure that appears to be disposed to hold the container. The adapter disclosed in this patent is of the type that may be connected directly to a syringe, through a LUER-LOK™ type of connection, for withdrawal of a dose of fluid to fill the syringe with the desired dose of medicant fluid. Then, the adapter is removed from the syringe, and a discharge element may be affixed to the syringe, prior to administering the dose to a patient.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,238,372 and 6,379,340, Zinger discloses a fluid control device adapted for attachment to a syringe and operable to withdraw a dose of medicament from a container, such as a vial having a punch-through sealing membrane. The disclosures of these patents are hereby incorporated herein, as if set forth in their entirety, for their teachings of vials and adapters. Zinger's disclosed embodiments include a valve member having a core that is manually positioned, by rotating it, to select a fluid flow path between the container, syringe, and an ejection conduit.
A commercially available embodiment of Zinger's device is generally indicated at 100 in FIG. 1. A flow path through conduit 110 is selected either by attaching the conduit 110 to, or removing it from, socket 120. Socket 120 can be placed into engagement with a vial 130 to pierce spike 133 through a membrane seal (not illustrated) in cap 135. A plurality of legs 137 each carry gripping structure, generally indicated at 139, arranged to hold vial 130 at a neck area 140 to resist removal of spike 133 from engagement with the vial 130. A first end of conduit 110 carries connection structure, generally indicated at 142, adapted for attachment to a syringe. A second end of conduit 110 carries a surface 144 adapted to form a slip fit with a needle, or other discharge device.
The flow path through conduit 110 is selected by a rotated position of core 146. As conduit 110 is placed into engagement with socket 120, wrench structure 148 engages into receiving socket structure (not illustrated) in core 146, and causes core 146 to rotate. Male thread structure, generally indicated at 150, carried by cantilevered arms 152 engages female thread 156 to alternately engage, and release, conduit 110 with respect to socket 120. At a first attached position, fluid can be extracted through nipple 156 to fill a syringe attached to structure 142. Successive 180 degree rotations of socket 120 with respect to conduit 110 can either release or re-engage the two components. Such rotations effect corresponding rotations of core 146, and thereby also selects a flow path through the conduit 110. At a second attached position, with core 146 rotated by 180 degrees from the first position, the core 146 blocks the flow path from the syringe. A syringe attached to structure 142 can only be discharged if conduit 110 is removed from the socket 120.
One embodiment of a vial adapter disclosed in the '372 patent, and illustrated in its FIGS. 3 and 4, can be oriented for discharge of a syringe while the syringe is attached to a vial. However, a manual adjustment must be effected to change a valve orientation. The device must be manually rotated to change a valve configuration subsequent to filling the syringe with the desired dose of fluid.
Situations occur that require dispensing successive doses of the same medicament to one or more patients. In a military application, repetitive injections may be required by needle during battlefield conditions, or to administer mass inoculations. In nasal therapy, an atomizer is typically employed to dispense multiple applications of a medicant, e.g. to one nostril, then to the other nostril for the same patient.
It would be an improvement in the art of dispensing medicaments to provide an adapter to interface with a bulk container of medicanent and operable to permit dispensing successive doses of that medicament simply by operation of a syringe. It would be a further improvement to provide an adapter operable either as a nasal treatment device, or as an injection dispensing apparatus. A further improvement would include a guide structure at a discharge end of the nasal treatment device to space the discharge orifice from a nostril wall. A still further improvement would provide an absorbent guide structured as a splash shield.